What Vilas County does

Vilas County is a local-government entity and political subdivision of the State of Wisconsin, headquartered at 330 Court Street in Eagle River. It was created by act of the Wisconsin Legislature on April 12, 1893, and is named after William F. Vilas of Madison, Wisconsin. The county's jurisdiction covers approximately 14 towns (Arbor Vitae, Boulder Junction, Cloverland, Conover, Lac du Flambeau, Land O'Lakes, Lincoln, Manitowish Waters, Phelps, Plum Lake, Presque Isle, St. Germain, Washington, Winchester) plus the City of Eagle River as county seat, serving a rural, tourism-and-forestry-heavy population in northern Wisconsin's Northwoods region.

The county delivers the full slate of mandated municipal services through departments organized into four clusters: Administration & Officials (Clerk, Finance, HR, IT, Register of Deeds, Treasurer, Zoning), Court & Legal (Circuit Court, District Attorney, Corporation Counsel, Medical Examiner, Register in Probate, Victim/Witness), Public Safety (Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management, Project Lifesaver tracking program), and Community Services (ADRC, Child Support Agency, Forestry & Recreation, Highway, Land/Water Conservation, Public Health, Social Services, Veterans Service, Tourism). It manages substantial real property assets, including the FSC- and SFI-certified Vilas County Forest, multiple campgrounds (Torch Lake, Tamarack Springs, Buckatabon Creek, Rummels Road, River Road Equestrian), and the Highway G Landfill operated through the Landfill Venture Group. Service delivery is hybrid: in-person at the courthouse and satellite offices (including an ADRC satellite in Lac du Flambeau), augmented by online portals for property-tax payment (ascent.vilascountywi.gov), GIS mapping (geo.vilascountywi.gov), permitting, vital records, and meeting archives.

Vilas County's funding is derived from property taxes (collectible online through the Treasurer's office), state and federal intergovernmental revenue, and a menu of service fees and licenses (plat books at $40 pickup / $44 shipped, multi-dog kenneling licenses, marriage licenses, tourist rooming-house permits, campground reservations, forest-use permits, alarm permits). As a public government entity rather than a commercial enterprise, Vilas County has no private shareholders, no parent company, and no equity-funding activity; operations are overseen by an elected County Board of Supervisors under public ownership.

Name

Vilas County

Legal name

Vilas County, Wisconsin

Website

https://vilascountywi.gov

Company type

Private

Founded year

1893

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Vilas County, Wisconsin is a county government founded in 1893, headquartered in Eagle River, delivering mandated local services — courts, public safety, public health, taxation, land records, zoning, and recreation — to residents, property owners, businesses, and visitors across 14 towns and one city in northern Wisconsin's Northwoods region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Administration of Public Health Programs (923120), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities (922), Administration of Veterans' Affairs (923140)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

County/District/Local Health Departments (HLAJAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forestry & Public Lands Administration (State/National Forests) (BPAIAMAF), Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD), State/Provincial Taxation & Revenue Administration (BPAIABAD), State/Provincial Human Services & Benefits Administration (Welfare, Disability, Child & Family) (BPAIABAI), State/Provincial Licensing, Permitting & Regulatory Administration (Cross-sector) (BPAIABAO)

Keywords

• County government services
• Public health services
• Property tax administration
• Forestry recreation management
• Aging disability resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Eagle River

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Vilas County is a local county government that delivers public administration, judicial, public safety, public health, social services, land and property management, and parks/recreation services to its residents, property owners, and visitors through its courthouse and satellite offices and a suite of online self-service portals. It collects property taxes, issues permits and licenses (marriage, dog/kennel, tourist rooming house, alarm), manages county forest lands under SFI/FSC certification, and operates an Aging and Disability Resource Center providing long-term care counseling and benefit assistance to seniors and people with disabilities.

Product overview

Vilas County operates as a county government entity offering a comprehensive website portal that provides access to various public services and department information. The county's services include: Administration (Clerk, Finance, HR, IT, Register of Deeds, Treasurer, Zoning), Court & Legal services, Public Safety (Sheriff's Office, Emergency Management, Project Lifesaver), and Community Services (ADRC for seniors/disabled, Child Support Agency, Forestry & Recreation, Highway Department, Public Health, Social Services, Veterans Services, Tourism). The Public Health Department offers extensive services including immunizations, disease control, dental programs, maternal child health (MCH/WIC), environmental health, and emergency preparedness. The county also manages recreational facilities including multiple campgrounds and online permitting systems for activities such as Tourist Rooming House operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Child Support Agency Services Provides child support enforcement, paternity establishment, support order modification, and financial management services for families in Vilas County.
• ADRC of Vilas County (Aging and Disability Resource Center) Aging and Disability Resource Center providing information, assistance, long-term care counseling, benefit specialist services, caregiver support, and community resources for county residents aged 60+ and people with disabilities.
• Forestry & Recreation Department Services Manages Vilas County Forest lands including sustainable timber sales, forest health monitoring, hunting permits, and outdoor recreation including campgrounds and trail systems. Forest is certified under Sustainable Forest Initiative and Forest Stewardship Council standards.
• Highway G Landfill Municipal solid waste disposal facility operated by the Landfill Venture Group, located west of Highway 45 in Eagle River, serving Vilas County residents.
• Vilas County Project Lifesaver Search and rescue program using tracking technology for individuals with cognitive disorders or medical conditions who may wander, operated by the Vilas County Sheriff's Department.
• Public Health Department Services Comprehensive public health services including immunizations, communicable disease control, maternal child health programs, WIC, dental services, environmental health, emergency preparedness, and health education for Vilas County residents.
• Social Services Human services including child support coordination, family support, and coordination with state programs for Vilas County residents in need.
• Animal Bites and Rabies Control Manages animal bite reports, rabies control, animal control officer coordination, and works with local wildlife rehabilitation centers.
• Tourist Rooming House Permits Zoning and planning department service for permitting and regulating short-term rentals (Tourist Rooming Houses) in Vilas County, including annual permits, occupancy limits, and compliance monitoring.
• Parks and Recreation (County Campgrounds) County parks and recreation facilities including campgrounds at Torch Lake, River Road Equestrian, Tamarack Springs, Buckatabon Creek, and Rummels Road; trails; and outdoor recreation planning.
• Online Property Tax Payment and Land Records Service Online self-service portal (ascent.vilascountywi.gov) allowing Vilas County property owners to view property tax bills (current and 2011-2022 archive), pay property taxes, and access parcel-level land records.
• VilasGEO Online GIS Mapping Service Public web-based GIS mapping portal (geo.vilascountywi.gov) providing parcel, zoning, addressing, and land information for Vilas County.
• Marriage License Application Service Marriage license application processing for Vilas County residents, with applications submitted via [email protected] and processed at the County Clerk's Office between 8:00 AM and 3:00 PM, Monday-Friday.
• Dog and Kennel License Service Issuance of dog and kennel licenses through the County Clerk's Office; Multi-Dog License available for up to 12 dogs for $35 with $3 per additional dog; individual licenses issued through town treasurers.
• County Plat Books Sale of 2023 Plat Books at the County Clerk's Office for $40 (pickup) or $44 (shipped); cash or check only.
• Vilas County Meeting Archives Service Online document repository (vilascountywi.documents-on-demand.com) hosting county meeting minutes, agendas, county ordinances, and archived records, accessible to the public.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Marathon County, Wisconsin: Larger central Wisconsin county offering a broader service portfolio (including a major regional airport and health system). Comparable as a county-government peer but with materially larger scale and resources than Vilas County.
• Wisconsin Department of Administration: State-level government agency that oversees many of the administrative functions Vilas County performs locally (finance, HR, procurement, facilities). Comparable as a public-administration operator but at the state level rather than county.

Direct peers

• Iron County, Wisconsin: Adjacent northern Wisconsin county with similar small population, forested landscape, and tourism/recreation economy. Comparable in scale and rural service delivery model.
• Burnett County, Wisconsin: Northwestern Wisconsin county with similar population size, lake-based tourism economy, county forest holdings, and full county government service portfolio. Comparable rural county profile.
• Door County, Wisconsin: Wisconsin peninsula county with a tourism-driven economy, county government structure, and similar service mix including public health, parks, zoning, and shoreland management. Highly comparable in tourism/recreation orientation.
• Sawyer County, Wisconsin: Adjacent northwestern Wisconsin county with comparable rural population, county forest holdings, tourism economy, and breadth of county services from public health to zoning.
• Forest County, Wisconsin: Adjacent rural Wisconsin county with extensive county forest, small population, and similar reliance on tourism and timber. Directly comparable for forestry and rural service delivery.
• Price County, Wisconsin: North-central Wisconsin county of similar size and rural character with overlapping service portfolio including forestry, public health, ADRC, and tourism. Comparable scale and structural profile.
• Bayfield County, Wisconsin: Rural northern Wisconsin county with significant county forest, lake tourism, and small-town government services. Directly comparable for forestry management, recreation, and tourism-dependent fiscal profile.
• Oneida County, Wisconsin: Adjacent northern Wisconsin county with a similar mix of tourism, forestry, public health, and ADRC services serving a comparable rural population. Most directly comparable peer given shared geography, population size, and service portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/VilasCounty
• Instagraminstagram.com/vilascountywi
• Pinterestpinterest.com/vilascounty
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vilas-county

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Vilas County